LifeStyle

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  Thai vaccine institute joins Genexine's COVID-19 vaccine development SEOUL -- The National Vaccine Institute (NVI), a Thai public autonomous authority that coordinates vaccine affairs with domestic and international stakeholders, will cooperate with Genexine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company in South Korea, for the development of GX-19, a DNA vaccine material for COVID-19, as well as clinical trials. The memorandum of understanding with NVI came after Genexine secured approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a public he 2020-06-19
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  Health watchdog cancels approval for three botox products produced by Medytox SEOUL -- South Korea's public health watchdog canceled approval for three botulinum toxin (botox) products produced by Medytox for fabricating test data. The company was ordered to recall and dispose of the products despite advice from medical experts that safety concerns are "not significant." The decision is effective as of June 25. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety accused Medytox of covering up document manipulation to win state approval w 2020-06-18
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  Celltrion ready to sell antigen diagnostic kit for rapid and accurate COVID-19 screening SEOUL -- Celltrion, a South Korean bio firm involved in the development of anti-body treatment, is ready to roll out a highly sensitive and accurate antigen diagnostic kit that can yield results in 20 minutes. The kit provides both the speed of existing rapid diagnostic kits and the high sensitivity of molecular diagnosis so that COVID-19 patients can be sorted out in the early stages of infection. Celltrion said that it has completed the development of a 2020-06-16
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  Brittle bone disease treatment found to be effective in suppressing COVID-19 SEOUL -- A joint study involving South Korea's state medical research center found that raloxifene, a generic medication used to prevent and treat brittle bone disease, was effective in suppressing the new coronavirus. Technology transfer will be done for commercial production if clinical trials yield good results. The joint research has been conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH), a state body controlled by the Korea Centers for Disease Control an 2020-06-15
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  AI kid found to use disdainful language when exposed to any video SEOUL -- An artificial intelligence kid was found to have used slangs and disdainful words indiscriminately when it watched any video in a video exposure test conducted by LG Uplus (LGU+), a mobile carrier in South Korea, to analyze the impact of content on children's language habits. LGU+ said it has conducted an eight-week video exposure test on 5-year-old AI children in a joint project with Saltlux, a machine learning and natural language processing st 2020-06-11
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  Genexine wins U.S. approval to test immunotherapeutic drug candidate for COVID-19 treatment SEOUL -- Genexine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company in South Korea, has received U.S. approval to go ahead with clinical trials of GX-I7, an immunotherapeutic drug candidate, to see if it is effective in the treatment of COVID-19. Genexine has said that GX-I7 (Hyleukin-7) showed good efficacy when used in combination with a variety of immunotherapeutic agents. The seriousness of COVID-19 is related to the decrease and depletio 2020-06-11
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  State researchers transfer candidate material for COVID-19 treatment to LegoChem SEOUL -- A state-funded virus research group transferred a candidate material for COVID-19 treatment to LegoChem Biosciences, a domestic biopharmaceutical company that will push for the development of a new drug because it is less toxic and more effective than remdesivir, an antiviral medication approved in South Korea. LegoChem signed a technology transfer agreement with the CEVI (new virus) Convergence Research Group involving eight government-funded research institu 2020-06-09
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  Daewoong reports progress in animal testing of tapeworm treatment medicine as COVID-19 medication SEOUL -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical, a major bioengineering company in South Korea, claimed to have achieved progress in the initial animal testing of niclosamide, a tapeworm treatment medicine which has been selected as a candidate for COVID-19 antibody treatment. Institut Pasteur Korea, an infectious disease-focused research institute, has embarked on a co-research mission with Daewoong Therapeuticits, a subsidiary of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, to te 2020-06-05
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  Seoul hospital to conduct clinical trial for Inovio's COVID-19 DNA vaccine candidate SEOUL -- The safety and efficacy of IN0-4800, a COVID-19 DNA vaccine candidate developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals, an American biotechnology company, will be checked in clinical trials by a prominent state hospital in South Korea. Clinical trials will begin this month. The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) won approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a public health watchdog, for Phase 1 and 2 trials in South Korea. Under a contract with the institu 2020-06-04
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  Researchers discover simple method to screen glioblastoma SEOUL -- Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of cancer that originates within the central nervous system. It represents 15 percent of all primary brain tumors, but the cause is unclear, and there is no clear way to prevent it. Simple methods to monitor the presence or recurrence of GBM are important in treatment. Researchers from Seoul National University College of Medicine and Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, both in Seoul, said that th 2020-06-02
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  Celltrion achieves initial progress in animal testing of candidates for antibody treatment. SEOUL -- Celltrion, a bio firm involved in a project to develop the treatment of patients infected with a new coronavirus, claimed to have achieved progress in the initial animal testing of candidates for antibody treatment. Celltrion has embarked on the verification of selected candidates for antibody treatment to see if they can neutralize the coronavirus. The company has conducted animal tests on ferrets. Symptoms such as coughing have disappeared si 2020-06-01
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  Remdesvir to be introduced for treatment of COVID-19 in S. Korea SEOUL -- Remdesivir, an antiviral medication developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola virus disease, will be introduced in South Korea as a specific treatment for COVID-19 following the positive assessment of clinical trials by experts involved in South Korea's national epidemic control center. Remdesivir has been authorized for emergency use in the United States and some other countries. It may shorten the time it takes to recover from infection. The Korea 2020-05-29
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  Researchers discover new strain capable of synthesizing expensive antibiotic A file picture shows an antibiotic pit in a seaside town in Taean. SEOUL -- A state research body in South Korea claimed to have discovered a new strain that can synthesize Chromomycin A3, an expensive antibiotic being used to develop cancer or various tumor treatments, raising the possibility of an import substitution effect. Chromomycin A3, extracted from microorganisms in the soil, is an anthraquinone antibiotic glycoside produced by the fermentation of a cer 2020-05-27
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  Indonesia's Kalbe partners with S. Korean company for joint vaccine research SEOUL -- PT Kalbe Farma, a pharmaceutical, healthcare and nutrition company in Indonesia, forged a partnership with Genexine, a South Korean company involved in the development of GX-19, a DNA vaccine material for COVID-19. Genexine, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, said that its cooperation with Kalbe would enable GX-19's clinical trials in Southeast Asia. The South Korean company has been involved in South Korea's state-commissioned research 2020-05-27
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  S. Korea reports suspected pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome cases SEOUL -- South Korea reported two suspected cases of the pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome, a day after health authorities launched a monitoring and investigation system for the rare disease linked to a novel coronavirus. The two tested negative for COVID-19 in the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method that amplifies specific DNA samples, Kwak Jin, an official from South Korea's epidemic control center, said on Tuesday. Cases of multi-syste 2020-05-26
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  Health agency suspends 31 diabetic drugs with metformin due to contamination SEOUL -- Due to contamination with a human carcinogen, 31 diabetic drugs with metformin in domestic circulation were suspended. South Korea's public health agency advised diabetic patients not to panic, saying that there was a very low risk of harm to the human body even if drugs in question were taken. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a semi-volatile organic chemical that is highly toxic and is a suspected human carcinogen, was detected in excess of the manage 2020-05-26
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  National hospital in Busan to establish remote cooperative medical system in Indonesia SEOUL -- A national university hospital will establish a remote cooperative medical system in Indonesia, using Information and communications technology, that would enable South Korean doctors to remotely check the results of basic data and provides diagnosis and directions for treatment. Pusan National University Hospital said that it was selected for a state pilot project sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Kore 2020-05-20
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  Samsung Bioepis demonstrates efficacy of first biosimilar for eye disease treatment An image captured from the website of Samsung Bioepisute SEOUL -- Samsung Bioepis, a U.S. and South Korean biopharmaceutical joint venture company, promised to seek a license for the marketing of SB11, a biosimilar candidate referencing Lucentis (ranibizumab), in the United States and Europe saying its efficacy has been demonstrated through final-stage clinical trials. Ranibizumab, developed by Genentech and marketed by Novartis under the brand name Lu 2020-05-18
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  GC Pharma pledges unlimited free supply of immunoglobulin drug for plasma treatment SEOUL -- GC Pharma, a biotech company in South Korea, pledged the unlimited free supply of an immunoglobulin drug based on plasma containing antibodies that neutralize a novel coronavirus, calling for the understanding of shareholders. The company is ready to carry out clinical trials for test production. GC Pharma has been selected by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a state health watchdog, as a preferred bidder for a research task to 2020-05-18
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  Bill Gates Foundation to finance research projects by S. Korean companies SEOUL -- Two South Korean companies will receive money from the Bill & Melinda Foundation, casually known as Bill Gates Foundation, for their research projects to develop a coronavirus vaccine or a prediction model on infectious diseases. SK Bioscience said it would receive $3.6 million from Bill Gates Foundation to find candidate materials for the COVID-19 vaccine. The company will coordinate with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations 2020-05-18